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Thursday, December 8, 2011

Creamy Herbed Sunflower Seed Dressing or Dip (dairy-free, paleo)

I receive quite a few comments and requests about nut-free recipes. Indeed, we do eat a lot of nuts, but we enjoy seeds quite often as well. This creamy ranch-style dressing is perfect to top any type of green salad, be it a crispy romaine salad or a picnic potato salad. If you use less water the dressing is a creamy dip for carrot and celery sticks. I also love that this dressing is raw, made from soaked raw sunflower seeds. Before you go to bed at night just place the seeds in a bowl and cover with filtered water. If I am making this dressing for dinner then I would begin soaking the seeds around lunchtime.

I use lemon juice and garlic in this dressing, which for some breastfeeding moms might be problematic (if your baby is very young). Our baby just turned 3 months and can tolerate just about anything I eat now. Early on I could not eat lemon juice or raw garlic. So if you are making this recipe for a new mom or are breastfeeding yourself (or cannot tolerate citrus), I would replace the lemon with about 3 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar or coconut vinegar and omit the garlic.

Creamy Herb Sunflower Dressing

In the wintertime I use dried herbs, but in the summertime I use whatever fresh herbs are growing in my garden. Snipped chives are particularly delicious, as well as fresh marjoram. Reduce the water and create a luscious, white, creamy dip perfect for any crispy veggie. This dip makes a great holiday party appetizer alongside a platter of raw, organic veggies!

Place the sunflower seeds in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 4 to 6 hours then drain and rinse. Place into a Vitamix or blender with the water (less for a dip, more for a dressing), lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and peppercorns. Blend on high for one minute or until very creamy and smooth. Then add the herbs and blend on a lower speed until combined but not completely pureed.

Pour into a glass mason jar, cover, and store in your refrigerator until ready to serve. The salad pictured here is made from greens, raw carrots, roasted beets, sprouts, and hemp seeds. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

About the Author

Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University. She is the founder of Whole Life Nutrition, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them, and offers elimination diet recipes, healthy gluten-free recipes, paleo and vegan recipes, as well as tips for feeding your family a nourishing, whole foods diet. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

Do you think this would work using sunflower butter instead of soaking and blending my own sunflower seeds? I often do dressings or sauces with tahini or peanut butter, so it sounds similar. Wondering if the flavor would be similar enough since yours sounds delicious!

aww Ali thank you.. there is nothing better then homemade dressings. We love sunflower seeds, I never thought to make salad dressing with them. I will be making it for tomorrow evenings dining. Its such a joy to receive such scrumptious things in my emails. Thank you thank you...:)

Welcome to my blog!

Hi! My name is Alissa Segersten and I've had a love of healthy food and cooking since the age of 10. I have my degree in Nutrition from Bastyr University and am the author of three {gluten-free} food and nutrition books. When I was pregnant with my first daughter in 2001, I diligently began writing down my recipes because so many people would ask for them! Some of these recipes appeared in my first book, The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. I now have 5 children and am passionate about educating them about our food system so they can make the most informed choices as they grow up and are exposed to a world of processed, chemical-laden foods. Join me in my mission of helping to support families with nourishing meals! Read more about me here.